Santa Monica Mirror: Aug 18 - Aug 24, 2023

Santa Monica-Malibu School District Unveils Plan to Revive Historic Civic Auditorium

District’s Vision Aims to Breathe New Life into Santa Monica’s Iconic Civic Auditorium

By Dolores Quintana

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has unveiled its intentions to present a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the Santa Monica High School Campus Plan and restore the revered Civic Auditorium (“Civic”). The proposed plan envisions a refurbishment of the Civic that aligns its structural and architectural features with contemporary construction standards while also adapting its intended purpose to cater to the needs of the District, the City, and the Santa Monica community.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, a versatile multipurpose venue owned by the City of Santa Monica, holds a rich history as

a local landmark. Constructed in 1958, it has served as a venue for concerts, exhibitions, and sporting events and even hosted the Academy Awards.

Over time, the Civic’s condition experienced significant deterioration, culminating in its closure in 2013 due to seismic and accessibility concerns. Acknowledging the Civic as a “surplus,” the Santa Monica City Council designated both the facility and its premises in October 2022. Prompted by this designation, the District expressed interest in acquiring the Civic and initiated a feasibility study in March 2023. The study aimed to assess the viability and potential benefits of procuring, restoring, and upgrading the Civic for educational, recreational, and entertainment purposes to serve the community.

The feasibility study highlights the District’s vision for a revitalized structure that can serve as a multipurpose venue, encompassing functionalities such as a gymnasium, theater, auditorium, concert hall, exhibition space, and community center. The study delves into the prospects of rejuvenating the facility while preserving its historical essence.

Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton stated, “SMMUSD has a strong interest in purchasing and preserving this historic multi-use facility, providing the City and residents with an opportunity for a trusted community partner to restore and bring this community treasure back to life. We look forward to gaining community input in this process as we seek to restore this historic property as an educational, entertainment, recreational, and community facility that everyone will be proud of.”

Incorporating the Civic into the school district’s modernization endeavors would expand the land area available to Santa Monica High School, expediting the ongoing

enhancements of the Samohi Campus Plan. This integration is projected to reduce the overall implementation timeline by nearly eight years and minimize costs for taxpayers in Santa Monica.

Any restoration project by the District would also involve commemorating the people displaced from the Belmar neighborhood, underscoring the Civic’s historical significance. The feasibility study findings are scheduled to be presented at the Board of Education meeting on August 17, 2023. Pending the Board’s evaluation and determination, negotiations with the City of Santa Monica for the Civic Auditorium’s acquisition will be pursued.

City Invests Half a Million to Bolster Santa

Monica

Artists and Organizations

The Funding Is a 12% Increase in Recipients From the Last Cycle

By Zach Armstrong

The City of Santa Monica awarded 56 grants totaling $525,525 to local artists and arts organizations as part of an investment to bolster local access to arts and help local artists flourish.

The funding is an increase of 12% recipients from the last grants funding

cycle. It also advances the recent priority of the city council to “Cultivating Economic Recovery and Expanding Community and Cultural Offerings” via investments in cultural amenities and programs.

“Santa Monica Cultural Affairs invests in people and programs that enrich our lives through the arts,” said Cultural Affairs Manager Sofia Klatzker in a release. “We do this by making public funding accessible for local arts organizations and individual artists who reflect and serve the diversity of people and experiences across the City. All of our grant programs are focused on supporting a healthy creative sector and prioritize equity and organizational sustainability. This is ultimately how we support the City’s resiliency—by building back and growing the creative economy.”

More than $400,000 was granted to the Organizational Support Program, which provides multiyear discretionary funding to Santa Monica-based arts and heritage

nonprofits. 22 cultural agencies, which the city describes as the “most diverse grantee pool to date”, will receive funding through OSP.

Grants totaling $70,000 were given to 29 community programs through the Community Access & Participation program. The CAP grant program has two funding categories. The Community Access & Participation category supports heritage experiences.

$15,800 was awarded to five artists through the Artist Fellowship Program. Two are Fellowship grants, in the discipline of literary and performance arts, given to writer and poet Cynthia Alessandra Briano and choreographer and interdisciplinary artist Ann Carlson. Three are Project Fellowship grants given to digital media artist Lola del Fresno, writer Mia Alvar and choreographer Suchi Branfman

Address:2304 Sawtelle Blvd 90064

License number: C10-0000626LIC

Phone number: (310)616-5140

Insta: @Erba_Sawtelle

Economic Challenges Leads to Closing of Santa Monica Mexican Restaurant

Co-owners Say This Restaurant Economy Is the Most Challenging They’ve Experienced in 17 Years of Operations

By Zach Armstrong

A little over six years after opening, Mexican restaurant Tallula’s will close its doors on Sunday, August 20 over challenges that lasted throughout the restaurant’s run. Consequently, hours will be adjusted to happy hour and dinner with no more weekend brunch, along with changes to Kim Prince’s Hotville Chicken pop-ups. Prince will have another pop-up at Esters on Sept. 5.

Co-owners Josh and Zoe said in a newsletter that reasons for the closing are challenges that persisted throughout Tallula’s six-year-run. “In this very difficult restaurant economy, the most challenging

we’ve experienced in our almost 17 years of operations throughout our 9 places, it no longer was sustainable to keep Tallula’s open.”

“Tallula’s was birthed out of love. Named after our daughter who was 3 when it opened, the inspiration came from the fact that Zoe and I grew up having many happy experiences at Marix Tex Mex, the restaurant that inhabited the space at 118 Entrada for the previous 30 years.” stated the newsletter.

The co-owners said highlights for Tallula’s six-year run was meeting Saw Naing, the opening Sous Chef who helmed its kitchen for four years. After cooking a Burmese dinner with his mom, it sparked the idea for The Dutchess in Ojai.

Tallula’s is located at 118 Entrada Dr. It is part of the Rustic Canyon Family, a collection of restaurants that includes Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe, Sweet Rose Creamery, Milo + Olive, Cassia, Esters, Birdie G’s, and The Dutchess.

Two Retail Stores Facing Discipline After Alcohol Sale to Minor

By Zach Armstrong

Two Santa Monica retail stores could face fines and other measures after its employees were cited for selling alcohol to a minor who attempted to buy alcohol from six Santa Monica retail stores under operation from SMPD.

The employees, who worked at the Pavilions at 820 Lincoln Blvd and the CVS at 500 Wilshire Blvd, could face a fine of $250 and/or be required as much as 32 hours of community service. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will also undergo measures such as fines or temporary suspension of the alcoholic beverage license held by the stores.

Eric Hirata, Director of the ABC, emphasized the significance of Minor Decoy operations, stating, “These operations serve to hold accountable those who facilitate the sale of alcohol to minors. Preventing the access of alcohol to young individuals remains a prioritized objective.”

The Surfing Fox Opens on Ocean Ave

Dishes Include

the Halibut With Yuzu

Tomato Butter

The Surfing Fox opened its doors within The Pierside Hotel at the intersection of Ocean and Colorado Avenue.

Executive Chef David Yamaguchi, known for his role at the Michelin-awarded Chulita in Venice, lends his culinary expertise to The Surfing Fox. Signature dishes include the Kojibrined Roasted Chicken with Coconut Sauce and Green Sambal, the tantalizing Halibut with Yuzu Tomato Butter, and the indulgent Thai Tea Tiramisu with Brown Sugar Boba. Complementing these offerings are a selection of “Foxtails,” the restaurant’s signature libations. Notable among them is the Prickly Pear, an artful combination of tequila, prickly

pear, hibiscus cordial, and black lava salt.

The expansive bar spotlights an array of locally-sourced California spirits, beers and wines. It also introduces an accessible breakfast and coffee program. The coffeehouse-style menu boasts a variety of La Colombe coffee selections, complemented by a range of teas, pastries, and freshly pressed local juices.

For more information on The Surfing Fox, visit thesurfingfoxsm.com

GoFundMe Launched for Local Mail Carrier Run Over off Motorcycle

Excavation Underway for Mixed-Use Project With 280 Apartments Above Vons Supermarket

The Incident Occurred at Entrada Dr and Pacific Coast Highway

By Zach Armstrong

A GoFundMe campaign for a Los Angeles resident who was run over off his motorcycle in Santa Monica is 15% through its fundraising goal.

According to the campaign’s webpage,

Bryan Ramirez was coming home on Aug. 8 when an SUV made an illegal u-turn and ran over Bryan off of his motorcycle at Entrada Dr and Pacific Coast Highway. His right leg was pinned against two vehicles and will have to get amputated from the knee down. As a mail carrier, he will no longer be able to work.

“I ask, from the bottom of my heart, to help with whatever you can, to help cover his medical bills along with other bills he won’t be able to cover due to this tragic accident.” wrote Elizabeth Vallejo, who started the GoFundMe. “So once he can recover all he can focus on is getting better.

Blueprints Entail the

Innovative EightStory

Six months after securing a $385 million construction loan, significant excavation efforts are presently in progress for a novel mixed-use apartment complex initiated by Related California in Downtown Santa Monica, Urbanize LA reported.

The development, situated at 710 Broadway, took the place of a Vons supermarket along with its associated parking area. LA Urbanize reported that blueprints entail the erection of an innovative eight-story edifice that will encompass 280 residential units positioned above an approximate 90,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

A substantial portion of this space will be designated for a new Vons outlet. Moreover, a raised courtyard spanning 30,000 square feet will be a central feature of the building. As a prerequisite for approval, Related California will be obligated to allocate 84 of the newly constructed apartments for lease at rates below the prevailing market rates. These units will have occupancy restrictions applicable to households with earnings ranging between 30 percent of the local median income and the threshold of moderate income. Oversight of the new affordable units will be managed by the Community Corp. of Santa Monica.

The architectural design for 710 Broadway is being undertaken by Large Architecture, which is crafting distinct facades for the three frontages of the structure: Lincoln Boulevard, 7th Street, and Broadway. The plans entail a curvilinear configuration along Broadway, folding elements facing 7th Street, and undulating patterns along Lincoln Boulevard to the east. The final rendition is projected to showcase an external visage composed of brick facade, augmented by glass and wooden embellishments.

New Cultural Event Series Coming to Tongva Park

Interactive Music and Dance Presentations Along With Hands-on Craft Workshops Are Included

Community Arts Resources presents Endless Summer C.A.M.P. at Tongva Park. The free, month-long celebration unites community, arts, and culture, inviting attendees to gather at Tongva Park’s Gathering Hill for a sequence of four Saturday afternoons from Aug. 19 to Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Endless Summer C.A.M.P. includes interactive music and dance presentations spotlighting Brazil, Cuba, Latin America,

and Hawaii. Notable among the performers is six-time GRAMMY Award-winning musician Daniel Ho. Young talents will take the stage, showing musical skills in orchestral and chamber music, Balkan music, Hawaiian dance, and Ballet Folklorico. Hands-on craft workshops inspired by the park and global traditions will offer participants a creative outlet. The Ice Guys LA will be on-site, providing ice cream treats for purchase.

Performances and workshops span the following:

• A unique showcase of animals from around the world by Conservation Ambassadors,

• The Elemental Music Chamber Music Institute string quartet and an instrument petting zoo,

• A Succulent Terrarium Workshop with artist Eros Cortes on August 19,

• An Afro-Cuban and Latin dance community gathering with CONTRATIEMPO,

• A Hawaiian dance performance presented by Santa Monica’s Cabeza de

Vaca Cultura,

• A Sensational Sashes Workshop led by artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario on August 26,

• A performance and Hawaiian dance workshop by Hālau Hula Keali’i O’Nālani,

• A special performance by six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning ‘ukulele virtuoso Daniel Ho,

• An offering from Academia de Danza,

Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo’s youth Ballet Folklorico,

• A Fish Marionette Making Workshop guided by Ellen Schulze on September 2,

• An Afro-Brazilian dance and drumming workshop with Viver Brasil,

• Santa Monica Youth Orchestra Balkan Ensemble’s presentation,

• A Drum making workshop led by reDiscover on September 9.

YOU WERE WARNED!

SMa.r.t.

Attached below is our SMa.r.t. column from January 20, 2015, lightly edited for brevity but without loss of substance as it relates to today’s unfortunate evidence of prediction come true.

Northeast residents and neighbors, and all of the rest of us, will soon be funneled down the predicted dark corridors to the sea due to several new projects up to eight stories and 84 ft high. Be aware, however, that the 84 ft describes the roof height of the last floor but does not include the additional elevator, stair, and mechanical structures that can extend 18ft above the roof line and potentially cover more than 20% of the roof area, effectively creating a building 102 ft high.

With heights up to 103 feet, it looks like even we at SMa.r.t. were off the mark in 2015 when we predicted dark tunnels of 6 or 7 stories…seems there are no limits to corporate welfare and State sponsored, dare I say, “land use terrorism.” Weak and ineffective, agendadriven city councils for the past 15-20 years are as responsible for this vertical sprawl as are the State allowed bonuses, and I might mention that we got pushback from some council members about the column, that we were “crying wolf,” etc. Most of them are no longer on the council, though there are new acolytes who continually push the same agenda for more development, clearly having not learned that you will never build your way to affordability - but you will destroy resident livability and harm the environment if this unfettered over development continues.

Our edited column from 20 January 2015: Our Boulevards- Dark Tunnels or Sunlit Paths to the Sea?

“Cities are entered and organized around their major boulevards. The 9 boulevard entrances to our City are San Vicente, Wilshire, Santa Monica, Broadway, Colorado, Olympic, Pico, Ocean Park, and Lincoln. Along our boulevards are over 900 buildings…

If 1/3 of these buildings were to remain as is or be developed through adaptive reuse with tax incentives, the remaining 525 buildings could be redeveloped as 3 or 4-story buildings. If so, these new projects could provide 15

million sq. ft. of additional leasable area while still leaving 30% open space. Is our City’s appetite for growth so great that this would not satisfy our needs for the near future?

The following sketches provide markedly different visions for the future of the Boulevards and our City. Will Santa Monica become an extension of Los Angeles, or will it retain its small beach town character?

The current alternative approach allows doubling building heights to 6 or 7 stories, concentrating development into fewer structures and creating a cityscape more akin to West Los Angles than Santa Monica. Shadows will cover the E-W Boulevards for a large part of the day, and these structures would be adjacent to neighboring homes resulting in significant negative impact on their livability. The new California codes regulate shading of adjacent properties and need to be enforced.

Re-developing to 3 or 4 stories could more than double the current square footage, a substantial increase without impacting the City’s low-scale skyline. Another advantage is the City’s density could be spread over larger areas and time frames, minimizing the impact of density and vehicles in any single location. This would allow the City to grow at a moderate pace and impact residents less while maintaining the City’s small-town allure.

The other advantage is that it would preserve some of our historic building stock, providing continuity with the past and preserving the unique character of our City for the future. And our Zoning code needs to encourage adaptive reuse of existing 1 & 2-story buildings –especially on narrow lots that don’t permit 3 & 4-story redevelopment. The retention of 1 and 2-story buildings might also provide additional workforce housing.

If not, we won’t know what we’re losing until it’s gone. The LUCE has a clearly stated goal of “Overall Height Reduction.”  A simple 30-40-50 ft. code would provide clarity for developers as well as protect residents with an iron-clad cap on building heights. We need to close the Development Agreement (D.A. ) loophole that allows developers to exceed height limits through the provision of “Community Benefits.” These D.A.’s are one of the biggest causes of community distrust.  The trade-off of community benefits for increased density, height, traffic, and parking, along with increasing land values resulting in higher rents and loss of local business, is not an exchange

that serves our community…

Ron Goldman, Thane Roberts, and Robert Taylor for SMa.r.t. (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow)”

So the warning was there, yet the Council and Planning Commission over the years failed to stand up and act in the best interests of the residents, the residents to be, and the environment, with a repeated ‘justification’ that there was a “housing crisis.” Well, there was, and is, an affordability crisis, exacerbated now by the excessive permitted development that, much like the incredibly massive Gelson’s proposal at Lincoln and Ocean Park Blvd. of 521 units, provides only 10% “affordable” units. So too, are the proposed Wilshire Blvd. projects by the same developer, providing 90% market rate housing

with what appears to be only 10% identified as affordable.

You were warned.

SMa.r.t.

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow

Ron Goldman, Architect FAIA; Bob Taylor, Architect AIA; Dan Jansenson, Architect, Building & Fire-Life Safety Commissioner; Thane Roberts, Architect; Mario FondaBonardi, Architect AIA, (Ex-Planning Commissioner); Sam Tolkin, Architect, Planning Commissioner; Michael Jolly, ARE/ CRE

For previous articles, see www. santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow